Agricultural field dispensing systems, such as sprayer systems in use today, need to manage drift. Drift is a term often used with crop protection, and generally refers to small droplets of solution containing chemicals mixed with water that do not attach to the target pest. Drift that leaves a target or target zone may have undesirable effects on non-target organisms, as well as air and water quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently placed more focus on drift, drift control, and the definition of sensitive areas.
Creation of buffer areas or zones in a target area or field is one way to manage drift. For instance, buffer zones may be defined in a chemical label or other documents that prescribe a setback (buffer) from any area determined to be sensitive.